Mancebo to captain new American pro team

RealCyclist.com announced that Spanish professional Francisco Mancebo will captain their new U.S. Continental squad for the 2011 racing season.

Mancebo is a two-time third-place finisher of the Vuelta a Espana (2004, 2005) and finished in the top-10 of the Tour de France four times. Mancebo was named the Best Young Rider of the Tour in 2000. Mancebo, racing for Rock Racing, won the first stage of the 2009 Tour of California and wore the green KOM jersey before he crashed out and suffered a concussion in Stage 7. Mancebo likes racing in America and he has an established American fan base. He’s a suspected doper who was banned from racing in the 2006 Tour de France, but he’s such a nice suspected doper and I’m among his cadre of American fans.

“About the new team, RealCyclist.com, I’m very excited about this new project. I’m very attracted to the idea of racing in the USA, and couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” says Mancebo, 34. “I hope to have good results in 2011, especially in California and Utah, to repay the team for placing confidence in me.”

RealCyclist.com Pro Cycling Team will be led by Gord Fraser as the directeur sportif. This UCI Continental pro cycling team will compete in National Racing Calendar events in North America. RealCyclist.com — a part of Backcountry.com — is an online retailer of premium road bikes and parts.